suit. The blue suits you.”
“Thanks. First time I’ve worn it.” She didn’t tell Lisa that she had a personal shopper at Nordstrom who called her when new stock came in in her size and style. The woman knew Serena’s wardrobe almost as well as Serena did. Serena didn’t like wasting time shopping but she needed to project an image of professionalism and sophistication. She had to appear to have it all together even when that felt laughably untrue. However, having her own shopper made her feel vaguely guilty and self-indulgent, so she tended not to mention it.
While she quickly flipped through the messages Lisa handed her, she paused at one. “Marcus was in today?” She glanced at Lisa. “We didn’t expect him, did we?”
“No.” Her assistant held her gaze but her color rose. “I...um...I want to talk to you about something.”
“Okay.” Now wasn’t the time. She was tired and Adam was on his way, but instinct told her she needed to listen to Lisa. And do it now.
“What’s up?”
Lisa fiddled with her hair, a sign she was nervous. “I love working with you. I enjoy the clients and I can see that you really make a difference in people’s lives.”
Sure, Serena thought, butter me up. Then stick it to me. She merely nodded and waited.
Lisa stacked the Post-it notes beside her computer, then straightened a perfectly perpendicular pen. “I see that you have to turn down work, that you have more clients than one person can possibly handle.” She licked her lips. “I want to take on more responsibility. Maybe one day become a junior partner.” The last part came out in a rush, as though she’d memorized the words but hadn’t practiced the speech enough times.
Serena felt one more weight added to her already overburdened shoulders. She’d known she’d lose Lisa; she simply hadn’t expected it to be this soon. “I work alone, Lisa. I always have. I admit I’m a control freak. I can’t imagine having a partner. I think I’d always be double-checking your work to make sure it was done the way I’d do it.”
“But you could train me. I’m a fast learner.”
“When would I have time to train you? I’ve barely got time to eat lunch.”
“I really feel like I could be an asset. Marcus came in today because he asked me to go over the last exercise you gave him. I was able to explain things to him when you were busy with something else.”
A spurt of irritation blasted through her. What right did Lisa have to explain her exercises to a client? The woman was her admin assistant, not a certified performance coach.
Before she did something stupid like say things she might regret, Serena said, “Can you let me think about this for a few days? Maybe we can talk again after I’ve had time to digest?”
“Yes, of course.”
As Serena was heading to her office, Lisa said, “I followed your advice, you know. You always say if you don’t ask, you won’t get.”
She turned.
As Lisa was speaking, the outer door opened and Adam walked in, flashing his killer smile at the pair of them. “Ladies.” If his eyes telegraphed wicked messages, they were only for her.
Perfect timing, Serena thought as she welcomed him, glad he’d broken into a conversation she didn’t want to finish. “Come on back to my office.”
When she looked at him, she forgot Lisa. All she could think about was that kiss, that earthshaking, spine-melting kiss that she’d thought about far too often in the past few days.
She wanted him, she realized, looking at the long-limbed, sexy man with the killer blue eyes.
Since he’d never been here before, she watched him take in her decor, neutral and modern. He flicked a glance at the original abstract painting on her wall, another at the Dale Chihuly sculpture centered on the glass-and-cement table in the center of her office. Then he sank into one of the pair of black leather Eames chairs.
She did a little checking out of her own. He’d had his hair cut recently, she
“Thanks. First time I’ve worn it.” She didn’t tell Lisa that she had a personal shopper at Nordstrom who called her when new stock came in in her size and style. The woman knew Serena’s wardrobe almost as well as Serena did. Serena didn’t like wasting time shopping but she needed to project an image of professionalism and sophistication. She had to appear to have it all together even when that felt laughably untrue. However, having her own shopper made her feel vaguely guilty and self-indulgent, so she tended not to mention it.
While she quickly flipped through the messages Lisa handed her, she paused at one. “Marcus was in today?” She glanced at Lisa. “We didn’t expect him, did we?”
“No.” Her assistant held her gaze but her color rose. “I...um...I want to talk to you about something.”
“Okay.” Now wasn’t the time. She was tired and Adam was on his way, but instinct told her she needed to listen to Lisa. And do it now.
“What’s up?”
Lisa fiddled with her hair, a sign she was nervous. “I love working with you. I enjoy the clients and I can see that you really make a difference in people’s lives.”
Sure, Serena thought, butter me up. Then stick it to me. She merely nodded and waited.
Lisa stacked the Post-it notes beside her computer, then straightened a perfectly perpendicular pen. “I see that you have to turn down work, that you have more clients than one person can possibly handle.” She licked her lips. “I want to take on more responsibility. Maybe one day become a junior partner.” The last part came out in a rush, as though she’d memorized the words but hadn’t practiced the speech enough times.
Serena felt one more weight added to her already overburdened shoulders. She’d known she’d lose Lisa; she simply hadn’t expected it to be this soon. “I work alone, Lisa. I always have. I admit I’m a control freak. I can’t imagine having a partner. I think I’d always be double-checking your work to make sure it was done the way I’d do it.”
“But you could train me. I’m a fast learner.”
“When would I have time to train you? I’ve barely got time to eat lunch.”
“I really feel like I could be an asset. Marcus came in today because he asked me to go over the last exercise you gave him. I was able to explain things to him when you were busy with something else.”
A spurt of irritation blasted through her. What right did Lisa have to explain her exercises to a client? The woman was her admin assistant, not a certified performance coach.
Before she did something stupid like say things she might regret, Serena said, “Can you let me think about this for a few days? Maybe we can talk again after I’ve had time to digest?”
“Yes, of course.”
As Serena was heading to her office, Lisa said, “I followed your advice, you know. You always say if you don’t ask, you won’t get.”
She turned.
As Lisa was speaking, the outer door opened and Adam walked in, flashing his killer smile at the pair of them. “Ladies.” If his eyes telegraphed wicked messages, they were only for her.
Perfect timing, Serena thought as she welcomed him, glad he’d broken into a conversation she didn’t want to finish. “Come on back to my office.”
When she looked at him, she forgot Lisa. All she could think about was that kiss, that earthshaking, spine-melting kiss that she’d thought about far too often in the past few days.
She wanted him, she realized, looking at the long-limbed, sexy man with the killer blue eyes.
Since he’d never been here before, she watched him take in her decor, neutral and modern. He flicked a glance at the original abstract painting on her wall, another at the Dale Chihuly sculpture centered on the glass-and-cement table in the center of her office. Then he sank into one of the pair of black leather Eames chairs.
She did a little checking out of her own. He’d had his hair cut recently, she
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